All Lit Up
by wickedsingularity
Summary: [x-mas stories 2017 #6, drabble] Wanda finds me in a rather awkward situation.


_wickedsingularity's Christmas Stories 2017_

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When all the other Avengers were busy on missions or training or writing reports, it fell to me to decorate the tree in our communal living area. Or rather, I was a perfectionist when it came to how the tree was supposed to be set up, so everyone else cleared out when they realized I was getting to it.

Using my powers, I easily got the boxes out of storage and carried them up into the living area and sat them in front of the tree. The previous day, Steve and Sam had been out to chop it, and it stood there, tall, lush, green and sweet smelling, waiting for me.

The first thing I had to do was sort through the boxes. We had a lot of different ornaments and garlands, and I never did the same style twice.

Once it was all laid out, I took some time to look it over. I usually thought about this weeks before, but I never managed to make a decision until I saw the tree or saw the decorations. Finally, I settled on warm white lights, gold pine cones, silver baubles, white frosted snowflakes and the occasional red bauble. On the top, I wanted a golden bow, with a few ribbons cascading down.

To start off, I had to put up the lights. Unfortunately, they were all in a giant tangle. The last time we used these lights, I had been sent on a mission at the end of Christmas and hadn't been able to make sure they were put away in a sensible way.

First, I plugged them in to see if they worked.

"Damn you," I mumbled as the ball of lights lit up. "Could have bought new ones if you didn't work. At least behave while I attempt to untangle you." I went to pull out the plug and began looping it through the rest of the cable, as far as I could manage.

To start with, it went fairly well. I began laying the string out around the room until I found the other end. Then I began looping that through too, but it was going too slow. I had to be careful of each bulb. I couldn't just pull the cable, I had to make sure the bulbs survived. Which meant that I was soon walking around the room, pulling the string of lights with me.

I thought I was doing a good job until I was about to roll up a couple of feet to pull through the loop I had carefully widened just enough. That's when I realized I had made an even bigger mess than before I began, as I was now all tangled up in them myself.

I finally lost my patience, and a string of expletives tumbled from my mouth. I began turning around, trying to get out of this mess, only to tangle myself in even deeper and deeper. I cursed louder and louder, and had a few choice words that would make even Loki blush. I tossed the loose ends around, not caring if the bulbs survived this. If I could get lose enough to reach something sharp, I'd cut myself out of these motherfucking lights and light the tree on fire, see if that didn't make for a pretty light show to go with the decorations.

Suddenly, all the lights lit up and I stopped short, blinking in confusion. Then I heard a quiet giggling and I spun around to find the source of it. There, by the outlet stood Wanda, dressed so adorably in red tights, a black bubble jacket, the furry hood pulled up over her head, white fluffy mittens. Around the mittens and the outlet, red smoke faded quickly.

" _Princeza_ , what have you done?" She pushed back her hood and began pulling off her mittens as she walked towards me, an amused smile on her face.

I just glared at her. Wasn't it obvious?

"You look very pretty all lit up." Her jacket came off and she tossed it up and it floated elegantly on a wave of red light over to the couch.

"Show off," I muttered, still glaring.

"You're also very cute when you're miffed at me." Wanda was now standing right in front of me, having easily sidestepped the lights on the floor. "Do you want me to help you?" When I didn't answer, she went on. "Or maybe I should carry you to my bedroom and have you standing there over Christmas, looking all _prekrasno i sjajno_."

A shudder went through me and her smile widened. She knew all too well what it did to me when she spoke in her mother tongue. But two could play that game.

I looked straight into her eyes and opened my mind to her if she wanted to get a visual of what I was going to suggest. "Help me untangle and hang up these lights, and I'll stand naked in your bedroom all through Christmas."

A beautiful blush blossomed on her face, but I was soon surrounded by red light and fog. I felt the string of lights loosening and wiggling and straightening out. Wanda's eyes began to glow red as she pulled on more power, but she was still looking at me. In the corner of my eye, I saw the string being lifted and began twisting around the tree. And a handful of seconds later, the red faded around us and from her eyes, revealing the green I loved so much.

"Thank you, Wanda."

"Anything for you, _ljubavi moja_."

I looked around at the tree and saw the lights arranged beautifully, I couldn't have done it better myself. "Would you mind helping me with the rest too, sweetie? I wouldn't have to find the ladder."

"Of course, I will help you."

I turned to her again and leaned in for a kiss. I meant it to be chaste, wanting to start decorating already, but Wanda laid her hand on the back of my head and deepened the kiss. She tasted like snow and cold air, and I moaned into her. But then there was a hint of gingerbread. I pulled back with a smacking sound. "Did you have Christmas coffee without me?"

She smiled bashfully. "Yes. I am sorry."

"No, you're not. But take me out for one when we're done, and I'll forgive you."

She nodded and pulled me to her for another kiss, and I tried to get as much of the gingerbread spiced coffee from her as I could. Before I could devour her completely, she pushed me away and giggled. "The sooner we start, the sooner I can get you your coffee and then you can come stand naked in my room."

I explained to her how I pictured the tree, and her red telekinesis took the first golden pinecone, lifted it up high and hooked it onto a branch. At that moment I decided this was going to be the new tradition. I never wanted to decorate another tree without my Wanda.

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 _Princeza (Serbian) – princess_

 _prekrasno i sjajno (Serbian) – gorgeous and radiant_

 _ljubavi moja_ _(Serbian) – my love_


End file.
